Azernews.Az

By Laman Ismayilova

Goethe-Zentrum Baku pleases Baku residents with incredible exhibitions and concert programs. Since its opening, the Center offers not only the propagation of German culture, but also international cooperation in the field of culture.

The center builds bridges between Azerbaijan and Germany through cultural diplomacy, organizing exhibitions, presentations, performances by artists, lectures, literary readings, concerts, film screenings and many other events in Kapellhaus, the home of the German-Azerbaijan Cultural Association, and also collaborates with various local institutions, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve Icherisheher and YARAT Contemporary Space.

Earlier, Goethe-Zentrum Baku has delighted art lovers with the exhibition project "Dialogue", curated by Asli Samadova within the summer program.

As part of this project, buildings originally intended for religious purposes are used as exhibition spaces.

A light installation "Five suns / after Galileo" by German artist Mischa Kuball was presented at the Shah's mosque of the Shirvanshah Palace Complex on June 3, Day.Az reported.

Notably, art installation by famous German artist Mischa Kuball was presented in Baku on March 10. A minimalist installation "Space-Speech-Speed" fascinated a huge number of art lovers.

A contemporary artist who lives in Dusseldorf and is known for his use of light and space, returned to Baku with a new project created specifically for the space of the Shah's Mosque.

As the artist said, the light installation "Five Suns / after Galileo" is a tribute to the tragic fate of the genius and his confrontation with Jesuit priest Christopher Scheiner, who attempted to rescue the perfection of the Sun, and by implication the heavens generally, from imperfection. He therefore postulated that sunspots were caused by satellites of the Sun whose shadows are projected on to Sun's disk as they cross in front of it.

However, his publication was the start of a controversy with Galileo over the nature of sunspots.

It is believed that he played an important role in the infamous lawsuit against the Florentine scientist in 1633, as a result of which Galileo publicly accepted the Ptolemaic geocentric model of the universe.

Mischa Kuball was inspired by this historical conflict between religion and science.

The drawings of Galileo sunspots, transferred by artist to the surface of the five rotating glasses, change their form in a colorful kaleidoscope and inevitably fade as well as spots on the Sun. This continuous process occurs in complete silence: if you listen, you can hear the sound of the rotating motors of the installation, which seem to whisper "E pur si muove!" ("And yet it moves!").

Let's note that the permission of Administration of State Historical and Architectural Reserve "Icherisheher" to present the light installation "Five Suns / after Galileo" in the Shah's Mosque is one of many examples of religious tolerance and multiculturalism in Azerbaijan.

In the context of this space, the installation not only talks about the confrontation between Scheiner and Galileo, but also recalls that the heliocentric model and the concept of a multitude of universes is reflected in the Holy Quran and in the scientific treatises of Muslim astronomers Jafar al-Sadi (the 8th century), al- Balkhi (the 9th century) and Alhazen (the 11th century).

"I’m so proud to exhibit my work in the mosque," said the German artist.

Note that the exhibition will operate until October 1. Visiting the light installation "Five suns / after Galileo" is possible when buying a ticket to Shirvanshahs' Palace.

Opening hours: daily - from 10:00 to 18:00. The ticket office closes at 17:30.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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